Enemies Underfoot!

The sort of demonstration made by the Polishov Infantry in the previous post is not simply the fiat of some exuberant officer looking for promotion. The Polishov frontier is constantly being tested by the forces of Syldavia’s ancient arch-enemy, Borduria. Syldavia’s history is one of recovering lands lost to invaders from the north (and elsewhere) since long before the Ottoman Empire overran the kingdom of the tragic King Grygor. The Ottomans created an administrative district in Syldavia which was then attached to the Pashaluk of Borduria, and governed from its far-off capital of Szohôd on the Danube.

The present Syldavian military command, the Könikstzrwa Zyldav krag ministarstvo, makes great efforts to intercept these infiltrations and show the flag of the Black Pelican everywhere along the frontier. Here soldiers of the Polishov Infantry march north along the road to the villages of Tzolardin, through the woodlands along the west bank of the Dirinje. They make themselves conspicuous marching in their bright uniforms with drums beating and flags flying, defying the villainous Bordurians and reassuring the people. Aren’t they grand?

Tzolardin is but a village really but it is known for its ancient Romanesque chapel on a hill above the village. IR Polishov is feeling pretty good about itself and looking forward to getting of their feet and having a little refreshment in Tzolardin. It’s a nice day after all. But unbeknown to them, they are not alone. Something is hiding in the woods, staying quiet and out of sight. Who is it?

Bordurians! Here we see men of a Beslü unit (modern Austrian soldiers call them Hussars), irregular light cavalry well-experienced in scouting and the Petite guerre. This unit is based in Oilcanya, beyond the Polishov frontier and raised in Borduria – they are well known here.

Skulking with them are companies of irregular light, Pandours, dressed in distinctive black outfits. Their commander is there as well with a standard-bearer. He is an old hand at this kind of business, having campaigned as a mercenary captain for years for the Electoral League under the name of Gen. Schwartzenatter. Schwartzenatter made a name for himself leading his freikorps in a river-crossing action during the Annexation of Chiraz. Perhaps you have heard of it or read about it in The Lorraine Chronicle or the Privat Auge Zeitung. He fell on hard times afterwards, as mercenary captains often do, and his is making a new fortune and escaping his debts in the service of Borduria as commander of the Porras Pandours.

Here we get a look at the Oilcanya Beslü, drawn up for review. They are Legio Heroica figures, from their Siege of Vienna line. They are a bit dainty beside the big Eureka 18mm figures (their horses are immense beside LH’s horses). Nevertheless, their anachronistic uniform is perfect for the tone of this project and the figures are superbly sculpted and cast. Very sadly, LH has fallen on hard times as Giuseppe Barbazeni, the company’s founder and a creative and talented artist, passed away and the company now appears to be off line and closed. I’m happy I bought a surplus of figures and still have a good stock of unpainted lead in hand. A key part of my Bordurian army are LH figures. I do hope that Barbazeni’s work becomes available once again, however.

And here we get a quick peek (our spy had time to climb a tree and make a sketch but had to run for his life) of some of Burduria’s worst ruffians – Schwartzenatter himself, his Pandours and his trade-mark baggage wagon which he fills wherever he goes. These are 18mm Eureka Russian Pandour figures with minor conversions by me. The wagon is from Hallmark (I love their equipment line) and the skinny local youth tending the wagon is an Anthony Barton ACW zouave. Schwartzenatter and his men will be the stars of a future post.